Showing posts with label Aurifil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aurifil. Show all posts

Monday, February 20, 2017

Slow Sewing for the Soul


A Slow Stitch Saturday Morning

This past Saturday was filled with light. I have a north window in my studio, and the light was perfect to sit and hand stitch these last few pieces. The turkey and deer kept stopping at my window as if to say, "Just passing through to see what you're doing this fine morning." It was soothing to the soul. The few seams I had to complete were with Aurifil's Invisible Monofilament Thread, and unless the light is perfect it is darned difficult to see! I really love this thread.

Friday, October 28, 2016

Pieced Pumpkin Patch: Eerie Nights Blog Hop Giveaway




Welcome to Pink Doxies--
and one stop on your Eerie Nights
Blog Hop today!

 


When Marian at Seams to Be Sew asked me if I wanted to join in a Halloween hop, I was all in. The hop is sponsored by the Fat Quarter Shop, Aurifil, Timeless Treasures, and Quilter's Dream. Enter the Rafflecopter drawing at the end of this post, and each of the other 4 blogs listed for your chance to win your own fabulous treats! Because of scheduling conflicts, Amy at Sew Incredibly Crazy is hosting in lieu of Marian. Thank you both. 

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Fabric Collage Progress: Confetti



Saxifraga


Fabric collage was never on my bucket list. I admit I knew nothing about it until I came across a book explaing the techniques. You can catch up in this post. Persimmon Dreams is hosting a weekly challenge with this week's theme listed as 'confetti'.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Improv Quilt Finish




Let me start by saying this quilt design isn't every one's cup of tea, but it speaks to me. It started off as an improv project at an Amy Butler Dreaming Big in Color weekend.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Costa Maya Longarming & Marker Staining



Costa Maya


One of my friends asked me to quilt her Costa Maya a few weeks ago. I like to turn quilts over within two weeks, but this one had me a little stumped as to how to quilt it. I admit I had a few ideas in mind before I started, and had even doodled some markings in the center with a curvy ruler. More about that in a minute. But sometimes the quilting just comes to you as you go, and this one was exactly that way.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

The Farmer's Wife 1930s: Week 5: Blocks 41, 45


Jenny #45


I've begun to really look forward to my Sunday sewing. I try to take the day a little easier, and enjoy the time I work on my Farmer's Wife blocks. Maybe in part because I love the fabric, but also because they frequently put my skills to the test. This week I printed off the templates, and cut all the pieces of both blocks from paper templates. 

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Pop Stars for Halloween Finish




If there is a quilt on the floor, a dog will find it.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

One Step Forward, Two Steps ____?




Pop Stars for Halloween


There are 2 more passes to go before I'm finished with the quilting. I've been using a ruler for the spider webs, and free handing the curlicues. Every thing is going smoothly now, but please let me tell you about the disaster what happened.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Pop Top-Pop Stars Mishmash & Friends



"Pop Stars" for Halloween


Tonight is a full moon, or more specifically a Hunter's Moon, Blood Moon, or Sanguine Moon. Hunters made use of the moon's light to build their food supply before winter. Can I blame that for this strange post? 

Friday, September 11, 2015

E's Hexie Finish, CST, and Pet Project Show #37




If I said I was writing this quickly so I could go to bed, would you understand? It was a hard day in the studio, and I have so much to share over the next few days with you. But this is the big one. E's Hexie is completely finished. The binding is a Timeless Treasures print in a peachy-orange, and I couldn't be happier with it. It's girly yet modern, and sets off the quilt with a soft framing.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Moda Modern Building Blocks Flimsy Finish



Moda Modern Building Blocks
The Print Version

Warning: This pattern may be addicitive. 
Proceed with caution!

Many of you know I had no intention to make this quilt. I only wanted to experiment, and try a few blocks. One thing led to the next, the momentum built, and it became a highly addictive project. It spanned months, and dominated my design wall and my attention.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Patriotic Quilt Flimsy Finish with Tips & Tricks




I've been blessed with a family that forgives. I apologize to them for rushing in with a quilt over my arm, and declaring an emergency while some were dozing. Getting a picture of the quilt top before the light fades does not constitute an emergency (to them), but they were still gracious to run outside, and hold my 5-minute-old finish before the light was gone.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Optimal Positioning






This or that?



Friday, July 17, 2015

2015 MQG Finish for Riley Blake Designs & Pet Project Show #29


"The Aviary"


Ta-da! There was a sigh of relief on Sunday when I unpinned this from my longarm. It was a fabric challenge, and in some ways a personal challenge for not only me, but many of you, too. While I don't believe we should unveil our work to immediately critique it, it's good to evaluate both the positive and negative aspects. That's how we learn. Even if we don't do it publicly, we take mental notes on what we might change the next time.

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Anna Marie Horner Mini Quilt Swap & Slow Stiching Sunday




Earlier this year, I signed up for the Anna Marie Horner Mini Quilt Swap on Instagram. Kate Basti is hostessing, and past members had such nice things to say about her swaps. I'd never been in one of any kind, but AMH! I had to! She was one of the first designers whose style attracted me back to quilting. The past minis from other swaps were gorgeous. Wow! These were some talented sewists, and I was worried I wouldn't measure up.

I ordered a fat quarter package of 'Folk Song',
and pulled out my high tech design tools--a pencil and some paper. This was the original drawing I started with, and I kept true to it. I integrated a few Missouri Star Quilt Co. templates I had purchased, but never used. I have to tell you these weren't made to be used together, and I had to do some tweaking at the corner diamonds.


I have one last line of hand quilting to stitch with my Aurifil 50#, and I feel like the teal corners need a bit of the coral and pink pearl cottons. Then it's time for binding, and I have a print in mind already.




#annamariehornerminiquiltswap 
#teamhonorroll 
#katebasti
#pinkdoxies


You might remember my cell phone and camera sling bag was made with the same fabric line, and another AMH I had in my stash.

I brought my mini home to work on thinking some slow stitching would be a nice change. It's been a busy week, and there's something theraputic about working with your project on your lap instead of zipping it through a machine. You see your work differently.

I've also wanted to link up to the Slow Sunday Stitching for some time. Kathy is a Canadian quilter after my own heart. She is also a scrapaholic, and is involved in quilting for Mennonite Central Committee



I haven't made any quilts for the auction like she has, but the women at First Mennonite Church in Sugarcreek do. They are an inspiring group. They meet every week to hand quilt on frames, while others ladies make utility quilts. These are gathered together in one location, packed, and sent to areas of the world where there is need. I machine bound two for them, and they will soon be on their way to a family in need. The scrappy ladies make sure they are colorful, cheery, and warm.




Thunderstorm pounded our area today, and I unplugged all my machines to make sure they weren't hit. We've lost small appliances before, and I've started unplugging my multi-strips when I leave for the day. It only takes a moment.

I spent the time cleaning up, and finishing some Moda Modern Building Blocks. You can see I filled the center of the largest block here, but I'm not satisfied with the inside grey. I think I'll replace it with the hanging print. 

By all rights, I should have thought through the whole project before starting blocks, but I was so excited to just make something! Now I'm hitting a wall, and have second thoughts about the palette. I'm not sure I like the colors I'm using, but I've been trying to follow the recommended solids as closely as possible. I may need to tweak it.



The last picture to share is the new/old stash on my floor. I went to a friend's house last week for a little fabric swap. Oo-la-la!
I know these don't look like my typical picks, but there are some projects in the Quilt Lovely book that beg for some vintage fabric. 

I'm interested obsessed in blending my vintage and modern stashes, and need to prove to myself it will work in projects. Jen Kingwell does it, and I am looking forward to learning how. 'Mrs. Bannister's Stars' pillow project starts today.


What's your plan for the month of June? Are you having a holiday weekend now, and enjoying some well earned family time? Do you have an idea for a project to be ready for July 4th? Are you working on your finishes for A Lovely Year of Finishes? Or, perhaps, Q2 Finish-Along for On the Windy Side?

Leave a comment to inspire your fellow sewists to get active in their creative space, and Be Makers this month! I applaud you all.

Link up with the Pink Doxies' Pet Project Show until Monday at midnight, and show off your latest make.


Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's go sew.




Linking up with~
Cooking Up Quilts
Hug-a-Bit Quilts
Show and Tell Monday
Molli Sparkles
Slow Stitching Sunday

Monday, May 25, 2015

Bertie's Quilt & Creative Space Tag


This little quilt is 47"x47", and has hung on my 
design wall for a few weeks. A friend of mine
pieced it last winter at a class while on vacation
somewhere sunny. She asked me to quilt it 
for her, and gave me free rein as to how.


The colors may be a little truer here.
The sashing and borders are the palest
pink, and it's really a pretty quilt top.



It was a bit of a dilemma for me to decide the 
quilting, as this is a quilt she is looking forward 
to leaving for a great-grandchild someday. 
I wanted it to be nicely done for her.

I decided it needed a little motif inside the 
blocks, and came up with this feathered 
wreath. A heart in the middle seemed to 
fit the style of the baby quilt, too.


I spray basted this one. I am finding that there 
are different situations where the spray basting 
works better for me than pinning. If I have any 
doubt about straightness of top or backing, I 
can see where to anticipate a wrinkle before 
I actually start to quilt.


Wreaths and hearts all out of the way,
I started the sashing. Simple leaves and 
vines with curling. I did use a water 
soluble marker to sketch an idea out,
and followed it loosley.  The mottling
you see in the pink is because I've
misted the top to get rid of the marking.


I do like her choice of backing. Very sweet
and appropriate. The quilting shows nicely.
I used a basic cream Aurifil in 50#.




Afterward my husband and I nabbed the Kubota
and went back on the hills for some peace and
quiet. There's nothing like being deep in the 
woods. We popped out on our way to a meadow,
and the hill was covered in blackberry blooms.
It's going to be a good year for the pie maker.


This little beauty caught my eye. I snapped
a picture so I could look it up later.
Any ideas?



Creative Space Tag is at Sew Preeti Quilts.
Preeti's post on "How Many Shades of Gray?" 
is up, and even her writing is full of energy!
I'm so happy to have her adding to our
bloggers sharing their creative spaces, and
she's already tagged Jasmine of Quilt Kisses.

For those of you who are curious, Maryse
at Maryse Makes Things came up with the 
idea after I posted about my new space,
and told me to run with the idea. We both
thought it would be fun to see where 
quilters create, and inspire each other 
with ideas about space usage. I've seen so
many great ideas, and made mental notes
for changes I should make. If you would 
like to share your space, let me know in
an email, and I'll add your name.

Until we meet again...
Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's go sew.

Linking up with~
Freemotion by the River
Quilt Story
Patchwork Times




                                                    Online Quilting Class

Friday, May 22, 2015

Memorial Day and Pet Project Show #21


Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for the 
men and women who have died in service. It is 
a day to pause, and remember freedom is not 
free. My heart goes out to all who are 
remembering family and friends today.

 This wall hanging was made from the same 
pattern I've been using from Jen Kingwell's
book, Quilt Lovely. I'm sure I've seen a heart
modified this way before, but not where.

The piecing is fairly tedious when the strips
are cut only 1" wide. Not all my strips 
were spot on so I made sure to square up
all the blocks before joining them.


I made sure to match the lowest horizontal
strip on the upper quadrants. At least it
gives the 'illusion' that it matches even if
the rest of the strips are a little off.


I had a batting scrap to use, and made my
backing twice as large so I had something to 
hold on to. There's nothing harder than trying
to FMQ an itty bitty piece. I started to FMQ in
the white area, and it didn't look right. I 
ripped out about 12" of stitching. Then I
started over, and just outlined the hearts
with Aurifil 50#. It was enough as the
blocks were already busy enough.


I attached my binding to the back, and 
then realized I hadn't trimmed the edges
quite enough. Would you believe that when 
I trimmed the edge I cut the corner off 
my binding? 

It doesn't pay to hurry, and, Yes, you 
can section binding, but it's not fun!

This binding warranted hand sewing, and 
I looked forward to a little t.v. time with
my daughter. One episode of "The Gilmore
Girls," and I was done.

I thought you would like to see the fabrics
close up. I think it's so interesting how blocks
look close up while we're picking out fabrics
and sewing vs. the whole finished effect.








Woohoo, Doxie Girls!
It's Saturday, and time for the weekly 

Pink Doxies 

Pet Project Show. 

Pet Project Show

Add your link here every Saturday. 

Rules


Do we have to have rules? 


No worries! It's EASY.



1. Use the blue 'Add Your Link' button (below)
to upload a picture of something you've created 
in the past week. Any kind of handiwork--
share it now! It can be a work in progress, 
finally finished, or even your fab new fabric. 
Whatever it is that inspired you to create this 
week, we'd like to see it here. 

2. Please link to a specific post, and not just your
blog address. It makes it easy for anyone following 
your link to find the project.

3. Provide a backlink to Pink Doxies with a link in
your post, or pick up our Pet Project Show
button in the sidebar. Copy the code, then 
create a Pet Show widget with 'Add by HTML' 
on your Layout page.

-OR-
1. You can link up to your Instagram. 
Click on the Instagram icon at the bottom 
of the link up screen. The URL of your Instagram 
feed will be your link. 
Please hashtag #pinkdoxiespetproject


Either way you link up, remember it's a party
here, so schmooze with the crowd! Visit others 
who've linked up. Leave a comment so they 
know what you like about their work. 

Don't miss a post! 
Follow me on Bloglovin' or by email. 

The Linky Party starts now, and runs until
Monday, May 25th at midnight. 
Spread the word, and tell all your stitchy friends.
*The first Saturday party of each month will
feature several of the Doxies' and my
favorite link ups. 

By linking up, you are giving permission for me
to post your picture with a link back to your 
blog or Instagram account. 


Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Modern Heart Zip Bag

I thought my little orphan block would be 
helped by framing.There were some darker strips 
that I’d decided were a bit too dark, but that 
was after I’d sewn it together.  I think the deep 
purple helped the colors pop, and the low 
volume background recede.  

To give it a little edgier look, I offset the border. 
This gave me both a solid color, and larger space 
to add some SLQ as an accent, and I had fun. 
It’s just a little pattern of crossing lines that 
ensures the sandwich is secure.

The backing was a diagonal print to start with,
and I marked every 1/2" with a chalk pencil.
I chose not to quilt every line, though, and 
picked a few here and there to keep it random. 
I used Aurifil #2309, my go-to 
off-white quilting thread in 50 wt.


I used a little contrasting fabric on each end of my 
zipper to get a good fit. I always use nylon zippers 
with bags! Metal zippers look very cool and hip, 
but those teeth can destroy your manicure in 
a heartbeat when you’re trying to get in and 
out of a bag--not that I have a mani, you know.

I chose to sew down the zipper on the inside
instead of finishing all the edges. Just the 
tiniest bit showed out from underneath.


The backing is a diagonal print from the ‘Elementary’ 
line from ‘Moda’. I like how it helps the bag 
from looking ‘too cute’.

I sewed front and back pieces wrong sides together 
in a scant ¼" seam. Then I added a Anna Marie 
Horner floral binding. It created contrast on the 
back, and picked up the heart fabrics in the front.



Tah-dah!
I wonder what I should do with it now?



I'm thankful for the rains this spring,
and our beautiful show of blooms.
The azaleas are in full bloom now,
and I'm awaiting my pink poppies.

Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's go outside and enjoy the sunshine
until the mosquitoes eat us up!